Written questions by Obese-Jecty.

On which date will the Enhanced Voluntary Returns offer pilot end.

This pilot is about fairness and control. The scheme is designed to get families out of costly hotels faster, remove incentives to delay, and save taxpayers money. We will see if it works and scale if it does.We expect people to take the offer and leave the country voluntarily but, where they do not, Immigration Enforcement will seek to enforce their departureThe offer is directed at failed asylum seeker families with no right to stay, who are currently being housed at public expense. It is not targeted at particular nationalities.

Which nationalities are included in the Enhanced Voluntary Returns offer pilot.

This pilot is about fairness and control. The scheme is designed to get families out of costly hotels faster, remove incentives to delay, and save taxpayers money. We will see if it works and scale if it does.We expect people to take the offer and leave the country voluntarily but, where they do not, Immigration Enforcement will seek to enforce their departureThe offer is directed at failed asylum seeker families with no right to stay, who are currently being housed at public expense. It is not targeted at particular nationalities.

How many China-linked instances of (a) espionage or (b) assisting a foreign intelligence service have been identified in the UK since 5t July 2024.

As is longstanding government policy, it would be inappropriate to comment on specific national security matters.Where there are individuals who pose a threat to our national security, we will use the full range of powers available to disrupt them. This includes the National Security Act 2023, which introduced a significant package of measures to be used against the full range of state threats activity.

Pursuant to the answer of 5 March 2026 to question 114022 on Extradition, how many of the requests received were from Bangladesh.

Further to our response to question 114022, which requested the number of Category 2 Type B requests we had received between 5th July 2024 and the date of that request 23rd February 2026.In accordance with our policies and after careful consideration we have decided not to release the information on requests received from Bangladesh between 5th July 2024 and today’s date. This is because disclosure of figures where five or fewer requests have been made may lead to the identification of an individual request. This might prejudice ongoing law enforcement proceedings.Please note that this information is taken from local management information and has not been quality assured to the level of published National Statistics. As such it should be treated as provisional and therefore subject to change.

Pursuant to the Answer of 3 March 2026 to Question 114904 on Firearms: Licensing, by what date he will be required to (a) make changes to improve the situation and (b) report back to HMICFRS.

The Chief Constables of the three forces involved in the tripartite firearms licensing arrangement involving Bedfordshire Police, Cambridgeshire Constabulary and Hertfordshire Constabulary received an accelerated cause of concern notice from His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) on 9 January 2026 relating to the management of firearms licensing.HMICFRS requested that the Chief Constables of the three police forces set out in an action plan how they intended to address the issues in the accelerated cause of concern within 28 working days. The response to HMICFRS has since been sent within the deadline set out in the notice.

Pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2026, to question 116395 on Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage, whether male victims of forced marriage are included within the scope of the national prevalence estimate.

Published in December 2025, “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls” committed to conducting an additional study to explore the viability of the approach recommended by the University of Birmingham in producing a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and FGM.The government is clear that whilst forced marriage disproportionately impacts women and girls, it also impacts men and boys. Whilst the study is still ongoing, any national prevalence estimate for forced marriage would include male victims.

What assessment she made of the potential merits of raising the threat level following the US and Israeli strikes on Iran.

The UK National Threat Level is subject to continuous review and assessment, of which the threat to the UK from all forms of terrorism is currently assessed as SUBSTANTIAL. It is not for the Home Secretary to set the UK National Threat Level. Instead, this is done independently of Government by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (JTAC), ensuring it accurately reflects the threat of a terrorist attack in the UK.Separate to the UK National Threat Level, the threat from Iran, and other states, is kept under constant review and we take protection of individuals’ rights, freedoms, and safety in the UK very seriously.Any attempt by a foreign power to intimidate, harass or harm individuals or communities in the UK will not be tolerated. Since the start of 2022, the UK has responded to over 20 Iran-backed plots presenting potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents. The Government’s top priority is our national security, and we will continue to use all appropriate tools at our disposal to protect the UK, and its people, from the threats we face.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact upon the US and Israeli strikes on Iran on levels of immigration from Iran.

The Home Office is monitoring the situation in Iran and the impacts that it will have.

What her planned timetable is for a decision on a proposed increase to the financial incentive for illegal migrants to co-operate with returns enforcement.

The Home Office commenced a time-limited enhanced family returns pilot on 5 March, which offers eligible families up to £10,000 per person to leave the UK, capped at £40,000 per family.

Pursuant to the Answer of 26 November 2025 to Question 92643, by when will she have made an assessment on the feasibility of a prevalence study for forced marriage and FGM.

In 2023, the Home Office commissioned the University of Birmingham to conduct a study on the feasibility of producing a prevalence estimate of forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) in England and Wales.Published in December 2025, the “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls” committed to conducting an additional study to explore the viability of the approach recommended by the University of Birmingham in producing a national prevalence estimate for forced marriage and FGM.This study is due to conclude in March after which the Government will review the findings of both studies in the round and consider next steps, including publication.

How many individuals arrived from Afghanistan to the UK between 25 October 2022 and 6 December 2023.

The Home Office publishes data on resettlement as part of the Immigration System Statistics quarterly release. Data on refugees resettled under the Afghan Resettlement Program is published in table Res_D02 of the resettlement detailed datasets. The latest data is available up to the end of December 2025.The latest data is available up to the end of December 2025.The Immigration system statistics release also includes data on grants of entry clearance visas and arrivals by illegal entry routes.

What progress has she made in maturing the eVisa programme.

eVisas were introduced in 2018 and are replacing physical evidence of immigration status such as Biometric Residence Permits (BRPs), Biometric Residence Cards (BRCs) and vignettes.The Minister for Migration and Citizenship provided an update on the transition to a digital immigration system, which included progress made in the latest transition phase of the rollout of eVisas, in his statement made on 25 February 2026: Written statements - Written questions, answers and statements - UK Parliament.There are now over 10 million eVisa holders, including approximately 6 million EUSS status holders. Over 5 million online (UKVI) accounts were created between March 2024 and January 2026, enabling people to access their eVisa.The transition to eVisas is being carefully delivered in phases, with the latest significant milestone reached on 25 February 2026, from when successful applicants for visit visas will receive an eVisa instead of a vignette, as set out in the Minister’s statement. Vignettes for most other routes have already been phased out.By the end of 2026, the Government intends to stop issuing all physical visa vignette stickers in passports, with all successful visa applicants receiving an eVisa.

With reference to page 44 of the Police reform white paper “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” (CP1489), what is the earliest date by which she plans to stand up a delivery programme equipped to deliver the full suite of mergers by the end of the next Parliament.

We will imminently launch an Independent Review of Police Structures, which will make recommendations on the optimum number and configuration of police forces across England and Wales and the best approach to implementation.The Government will subsequently set out its response to the recommendations and identify a pathway for implementing the new force structures, including any opportunities to deliver mergers this Parliament.

What assessment she has made of the potential impact of the death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes on the importation of illegal drugs into the UK.

We assess the recent death of Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes to have limited potential impact on the importation of illegal drugs into the UK.However, we continue to monitor for potential changes in drug supply, including the potential impact of the related civil unrest in Mexico.

With reference to page 65 of the Police reform white paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, CP1489, when she plans to introduce a local intervention model to policing.

The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”, which was published on 26 January.Under this local intervention model, intervention leads may be appointed to take responsibility for turning around failing forces, providing focused leadership and oversight where local arrangements have failed. This approach has been used successfully in sectors such as local government, health and education to drive rapid improvement and restore public confidence.In addition, new powers will be introduced to strengthen HMICFRS’ ability to intervene in failing forces and ensure that other policing bodies respond to its recommendations.We intend to bring forward legislation to introduce both the local intervention model and the new HMICFRS powers when Parliamentary time allows.

With reference to page 64 of the Police reform white paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, CP1489, when she plans to give HMICFRS new powers to intervene in failing forces.

The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”, which was published on 26 January.Under this local intervention model, intervention leads may be appointed to take responsibility for turning around failing forces, providing focused leadership and oversight where local arrangements have failed. This approach has been used successfully in sectors such as local government, health and education to drive rapid improvement and restore public confidence.In addition, new powers will be introduced to strengthen HMICFRS’ ability to intervene in failing forces and ensure that other policing bodies respond to its recommendations.We intend to bring forward legislation to introduce both the local intervention model and the new HMICFRS powers when Parliamentary time allows.

With reference to page 64 of the Police reform white paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, CP1489, how she plans to ensure that other policing bodies respond to HMICFRS recommendations.

The Home Secretary announced her plans to introduce a local intervention model and new powers for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) to intervene in failing forces in the police reform White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing”, which was published on 26 January.Under this local intervention model, intervention leads may be appointed to take responsibility for turning around failing forces, providing focused leadership and oversight where local arrangements have failed. This approach has been used successfully in sectors such as local government, health and education to drive rapid improvement and restore public confidence.In addition, new powers will be introduced to strengthen HMICFRS’ ability to intervene in failing forces and ensure that other policing bodies respond to its recommendations.We intend to bring forward legislation to introduce both the local intervention model and the new HMICFRS powers when Parliamentary time allows.

With reference to page 62 of her Department's policy paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published on 26 January 2026, CP1489, when will the Police Performance Dashboard be introduced.

The White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” contained announcements on the tiered performance system, the Police Performance Framework and the Police Performance Dashboard.As part of the new performance system announced in the White Paper, we committed to launching a Police Performance Monitoring Group which will decide on where a force is placed within the tiering system. The new assessment and monitoring process will formally launch from April 2026, operating on a tri-annual cycle.The Police Performance Framework was launched on the same day as the publication of the Home Office White Paper (26th January). A link to the framework can be found here - Police Performance FrameworkWithin this document, we confirm that an initial Police Performance Dashboard will be introduced for the sector early in 2026. This will initially cover headline measures within the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Performance Framework, but we will expand the dashboard iteratively to cover the breadth of the Performance Framework.We also confirm in the Framework document that we will establish new Local Policing Guarantees that set out the minimum levels of service the public should expect to receive from their police force wherever in England and Wales they live by building on the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. These guarantees will cover areas such as how the police will rapidly and effectively respond when the public need them, how victims of crime will be treated in accordance with the Victims’ Code of Practice and public protection.I also refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer which I gave to his question on 16 February 2026 (UIN 110965).

With reference to page 61 of her Department's policy paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published on 26 January 2026, CP1489, when she will establish new policing guarantees.

The White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” contained announcements on the tiered performance system, the Police Performance Framework and the Police Performance Dashboard.As part of the new performance system announced in the White Paper, we committed to launching a Police Performance Monitoring Group which will decide on where a force is placed within the tiering system. The new assessment and monitoring process will formally launch from April 2026, operating on a tri-annual cycle.The Police Performance Framework was launched on the same day as the publication of the Home Office White Paper (26th January). A link to the framework can be found here - Police Performance FrameworkWithin this document, we confirm that an initial Police Performance Dashboard will be introduced for the sector early in 2026. This will initially cover headline measures within the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Performance Framework, but we will expand the dashboard iteratively to cover the breadth of the Performance Framework.We also confirm in the Framework document that we will establish new Local Policing Guarantees that set out the minimum levels of service the public should expect to receive from their police force wherever in England and Wales they live by building on the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. These guarantees will cover areas such as how the police will rapidly and effectively respond when the public need them, how victims of crime will be treated in accordance with the Victims’ Code of Practice and public protection.I also refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer which I gave to his question on 16 February 2026 (UIN 110965).

With reference to page 62 of her Department's policy paper entitled From Local to National: A New Model for Policing, published on 26 January 2026, CP1489, how frequently will performance data from the Police Performance Dashboard be published.

The White Paper entitled “From Local to National: A New Model for Policing” contained announcements on the tiered performance system, the Police Performance Framework and the Police Performance Dashboard.As part of the new performance system announced in the White Paper, we committed to launching a Police Performance Monitoring Group which will decide on where a force is placed within the tiering system. The new assessment and monitoring process will formally launch from April 2026, operating on a tri-annual cycle.The Police Performance Framework was launched on the same day as the publication of the Home Office White Paper (26th January). A link to the framework can be found here - Police Performance FrameworkWithin this document, we confirm that an initial Police Performance Dashboard will be introduced for the sector early in 2026. This will initially cover headline measures within the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee Performance Framework, but we will expand the dashboard iteratively to cover the breadth of the Performance Framework.We also confirm in the Framework document that we will establish new Local Policing Guarantees that set out the minimum levels of service the public should expect to receive from their police force wherever in England and Wales they live by building on the Neighbourhood Policing Guarantee. These guarantees will cover areas such as how the police will rapidly and effectively respond when the public need them, how victims of crime will be treated in accordance with the Victims’ Code of Practice and public protection.I also refer the Honourable Gentleman to the answer which I gave to his question on 16 February 2026 (UIN 110965).